76 Nations Compete for Five 2013 Foreign Film Oscar Nominations

76 Countries In Competition For 2013 Foreign Language Film Oscar®

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – A record 76 countries have submitted films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category for the 86th Academy Awards®.  Moldova and Saudi Arabia are first-time entrants; Montenegro is submitting for the first time as an independent country.

The 2013 submissions are:

Afghanistan, "Wajma – An Afghan Love Story," Barmak Akram, director;
Albania, "Agon," Robert Budina, director;
Argentina, "The German Doctor," Lucía Puenzo, director;
Australia, "The Rocket," Kim Mordaunt, director;
Austria, "The Wall," Julian Pölsler, director;
Azerbaijan, "Steppe Man," Shamil Aliyev, director;
Bangladesh, "Television," Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, director;
Belgium, "The Broken Circle Breakdown," Felix van Groeningen, director;
Bosnia and Herzegovina, "An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker," Danis Tanovic, director;
Brazil, "Neighboring Sounds," Kleber Mendonça Filho, director;
Bulgaria, "The Color of the Chameleon," Emil Hristov, director;
Cambodia, "The Missing Picture," Rithy Panh, director;
Canada, "Gabrielle," Louise Archambault, director;
Chad, "GriGris," Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, director;
Chile, "Gloria," Sebastián Lelio, director;
China, "Back to 1942," Feng Xiaogang, director;
Colombia, "La Playa DC," Juan Andrés Arango, director;
Croatia, "Halima’s Path," Arsen Anton Ostojic, director;
Czech Republic, "The Don Juans," Jiri Menzel, director;
Denmark, "The Hunt," Thomas Vinterberg, director;
Dominican Republic, "Quien Manda?" Ronni Castillo, director;
Ecuador, "The Porcelain Horse," Javier Andrade, director;
Egypt, "Winter of Discontent," Ibrahim El Batout, director;
Estonia, "Free Range," Veiko Ounpuu, director;
Finland, "Disciple," Ulrika Bengts, director;
France, "Renoir," Gilles Bourdos, director;
Georgia, "In Bloom," Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Gross, directors;
Germany, "Two Lives," Georg Maas, director;
Greece, "Boy Eating the Bird’s Food," Ektoras Lygizos, director;
Hong Kong, "The Grandmaster," Wong Kar-wai, director;
Hungary, "The Notebook," Janos Szasz, director;
Iceland, "Of Horses and Men," Benedikt Erlingsson, director;
India, "The Good Road," Gyan Correa, director;
Indonesia, "Sang Kiai," Rako Prijanto, director;
Iran, "The Past," Asghar Farhadi, director;
Israel, "Bethlehem," Yuval Adler, director;
Italy, "The Great Beauty," Paolo Sorrentino, director;
Japan, "The Great Passage," Ishii Yuya, director;
Kazakhstan, "Shal," Yermek Tursunov, director;
Latvia, "Mother, I Love You," Janis Nords, director;
Lebanon, "Blind Intersections," Lara Saba, director;
Lithuania, "Conversations on Serious Topics," Giedre Beinoriute, director;
Luxembourg, "Blind Spot," Christophe Wagner, director;
Mexico, "Heli," Amat Escalante, director;
Moldova, "All God’s Children," Adrian Popovici, director;
Montenegro, "Ace of Spades - Bad Destiny," Drasko Djurovic, director;
Morocco, "Horses of God," Nabil Ayouch, director;
Nepal, "Soongava: Dance of the Orchids," Subarna Thapa, director;
Netherlands, "Borgman," Alex van Warmerdam, director;
New Zealand, "White Lies," Dana Rotberg, director;
Norway, "I Am Yours," Iram Haq, director;
Pakistan, "Zinda Bhaag," Meenu Gaur and Farjad Nabi, directors;
Palestine, "Omar," Hany Abu-Assad, director;
Peru, "The Cleaner," Adrian Saba, director;
Philippines, "Transit," Hannah Espia, director;
Poland, "Walesa. Man of Hope," Andrzej Wajda, director;
Portugal, "Lines of Wellington," Valeria Sarmiento, director;
Romania, "Child’s Pose," Calin Peter Netzer, director;
Russia, "Stalingrad," Fedor Bondarchuk, director;
Saudi Arabia, "Wadjda," Haifaa Al Mansour, director;
Serbia, "Circles," Srdan Golubovic, director;
Singapore, "Ilo Ilo," Anthony Chen, director;
Slovak Republic, "My Dog Killer," Mira Fornay, director;
Slovenia, "Class Enemy," Rok Bicek, director;
South Africa, "Four Corners," Ian Gabriel, director;
South Korea, "Juvenile Offender," Kang Yi-kwan, director;
Spain, "15 Years Plus a Day," Gracia Querejeta, director;
Sweden, "Eat Sleep Die," Gabriela Pichler, director;
Switzerland, "More than Honey," Markus Imhoof, director;
Taiwan, "Soul," Chung Mong-Hong, director;
Thailand, "Countdown," Nattawut Poonpiriya, director;
Turkey, "The Butterfly’s Dream," Yilmaz Erdogan, director;
Ukraine, "Paradjanov," Serge Avedikian and Olena Fetisova, directors;
United Kingdom, "Metro Manila," Sean Ellis, director;
Uruguay, "Anina," Alfredo Soderguit, director;
Venezuela, "Breach in the Silence," Luis Alejandro Rodríguez and Andrés Eduardo Rodríguez, directors.

The 86th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 16, 2014, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2013 will be presented on Oscar Sunday, March 2, 2014, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® and televised live on the ABC Television Network.  The presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

Review: "Tom and Jerry’s Giant Adventure" Goes to Disneyland

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 73 (of 2013) by Leroy Douresseaux

Tom and Jerry’s Giant Adventure (2013) – straight-to-video
Running time:  57 minutes
PRODUCERS/DIRECTORS:  Spike Brandt and Tony Cervone
WRITER:  Paul Dini
EDITOR:  Kyle Stafford
COMPOSER: Michael Tavera
ANIMATION STUDIO:  Yearim Productions Co. Ltd.

ANIMATION/FANTASY/COMEDY and ADVENTURE/FAMILY/MUSICAL

Starring:  (voices) Jacob Bertrand, Grey DeLisle, Garrison Keillor, Paul Reubens, Tom Wilson, Kath Soucie, Joe Alaskey, John DiMaggio, Phil LaMarr, and Richard McGonagle

Tom and Jerry’s Giant Adventure is a 2013 animated direct-to-video film starring the famous cartoon cat and mouse duo, Tom and Jerry.  Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, this film offers a Tom and Jerry spin on the fairy tale, Jack and the Beanstalk.  In Tom and Jerry’s Giant Adventure, the cat and mouse duo help a boy try to save his family’s theme park.

Once upon a time, Joe Bradley opened Storybook Town, a fairy tale-inspired theme park.  “Where dreams come true if you believe” became Bradley’s motto for the park.  He shared his dream with his wife, Violet (Grey DeLisle), and eventually with their son, Jack (Jacob Bertrand).  After Joe died, however, Storybook Town fell on hard times.

Now, Tom and Jerry are the last animals living in Storybook Town, but they are faithful servants of Jack.  The boy and his mother are desperate to save the park from the machinations of Mr. Bigley (Tom Wilson), a greedy billionaire and owner of Bigley’s Super Strip Malls.  Bigley wants to demolish Storybook Town and turn the property into a strip mall (what else?).

Jack believes some mysterious magical beans will help him save the park, but all they do is take him and Tom and Jerry to Fairyland.  There, the trio discovers that its denizens are also under the boot of a greedy bully, a giant named Mr. Ginormous (Tom Wilson).  Can Tom and Jerry stop their feuding long enough to join Jack in his bid to help the people of Fairyland and to maybe save Storybook Town?

Tom and Jerry’s Giant Adventure starts off a bit melancholy, with its themes of death, decay, and poverty.  Plus, the story’s allusions to Walt Disney and Disneyland are a little off-putting – to me, at least.  Is this an homage or sly dig?  However, once the story gains a clear sense of purpose and the heroes have a goal (or goals), the movie becomes a bright adventure that radiates with hope.

As for as the production values, the animation is on par with recent Tom and Jerry films, but the art direction is not special.  The character animation on Mr. Ginormous is the standout in this movie.

A number of Tom and Jerry’s fellow MGM animated characters make their usual appearances:  Droopy Dog (Joe Alaskey), Barney Bear (Richard McGonagle), Screwy Squirrel (Paul Reubens), Spyke and Tyke (Phil LaMarr), etc.  I must say that these are not the best versions of the characters, and they have been put to better use in other Tom and Jerry flicks.  The classic MGM sexpot character, “Red,” appears in this movie as Red Fairy (Grey DeLisle), but she is a tepid version of her red-hot self, but still manages to be a little risqué.  Radio legend and spoken word artist, Garrison Keillor, gives voice to the character, Farmer O’Dell.  I can’t say that his performance does anything particularly special for this film, but Keillor’s presence does strike an odd note.

Strangely, the thing that really appeals to me is this film’s sense of hope and perseverance.  In Tom and Jerry’s Giant Adventure, there is the sparkle of magic to go with the movie’s spark of hope.  I found myself really believing in miracles, and for me, that makes what could have been an average movie a little special.

6 of 10
B

Tuesday, October 29, 2013


The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

2013 Gotham Award Nominations Announced

by Amos Semien and Editor

The 2013-14 American movie award season has been kicked off with the announcement of nominations for The Gotham Awards - the 23rd edition of the awards.  The Gotham Awards is an annual film awards ceremony that honors independent films.  The Gotham Awards are part of The Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP), the nation’s oldest and largest organization of independent filmmakers.  The Gotham Awards also signal the kick-off to the film awards season.

Nominees are selected by groups of distinguished film critics, journalists, festival programmers, and film curators. Separate juries of writers, directors, actors, producers, editors and others directly involved in making films determine the final Gotham Award recipients.

The 2013 Gotham Awards nominees were announced Thursday, October 24, 2013.  The winners will be announced live at the 2013 Gotham Independent Film Awards™ on Monday, December 2, 2013.

23rd Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards nominees:

Best Feature:
12 Years a Slave
Steve McQueen, director; Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Bill Pohlad, Steve McQueen, Arnon Milchan, Anthony Katagas, producers (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Ain’t Them Bodies Saints
David Lowery, director; Tony Halbrooks, James M. Johnston, Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen, Amy Kaufman, Cassian Elwes, producers (IFC Films)

Before Midnight
Richard Linklater, director; Richard Linklater, Christos V. Konstantakopoulos, Sara Woodhatch, producers (Sony Pictures Classics)

Inside Llewyn Davis
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, directors; Scott Rudin, Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, producers (CBS Films)

Upstream Color
Shane Carruth, director; Shane Carruth, Casey Gooden, Ben LeClair, producers. (erbp)

Best Documentary:
The Act of Killing
Joshua Oppenheimer, director; Signe Byrge, Joshua Oppenheimer, producers (Drafthouse Films)

The Crash Reel
Lucy Walker, director; Julian Cautherly, Lucy Walker, producers (HBO Documentary Films)

First Cousin Once Removed
Alan Berliner, director and producer (HBO Documentary Films)

Let the Fire Burn
Jason Osder, director and producer (Zeitgeist Films)

Our Nixon
Penny Lane, director; Brian L. Frye, Penny Lane, producers (Cinedigm and CNN Films)

Best Actor:
• Chiwetel Ejiofor in 12 Years a Slave (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
• Oscar Isaac in Inside Llewyn Davis (CBS Films)
• Matthew McConaughey in Dallas Buyers Club (Focus Features)
• Robert Redford in All Is Lost (Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions)
• Isaiah Washington in Blue Caprice (Sundance Selects)

Best Actress:
• Cate Blanchett in Blue Jasmine (Sony Pictures Classics)
• Scarlett Johansson in Don Jon (Relativity Media)
• Brie Larson in Short Term 12 (Cinedigm)
• Amy Seimetz in Upstream Color (erbp)
• Shailene Woodley in The Spectacular Now (A24)

Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director:
• Ryan Coogler for Fruitvale Station (The Weinstein Company)
• Adam Leon for Gimme the Loot (Sundance Selects)
• Alexandre Moors for Blue Caprice (Sundance Selects)
• Stacie Passon for Concussion (RADiUS-TWC)
• Amy Seimetz for Sun Don’t Shine (Factory 25)

Breakthrough Actor:
• Dane DeHaan in Kill Your Darlings (Sony Pictures Classics)
• Kathryn Hahn in Afternoon Delight (The Film Arcade and Cinedigm)
• Michael B. Jordan in Fruitvale Station (The Weinstein Company)
• Lupita Nyong’o in 12 Years a Slave (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
• Robin Weigert in Concussion (RADiUS-TWC)

euphoria CK Spotlight on Women Filmmakers ‘Live the Dream’ grant:
• Afia Nathaniel, director, Dukhthar
• Gita Pullapilly, director, Beneath the Harvest Sky
• Deb Shoval, director, AWOl

Audience Award powered by Festival Genius
COMING SOON

Voted on by an independent film community of 230,000 film fans worldwide.  To be eligible, a U.S. film must have won an audience award at one of the top 50 U.S. or Canadian film festivals from November 2012 through October 2012.  Voting on the nominees closes November 24th, and the winner revealed at the Gotham Awards ceremony.

http://gotham.ifp.org

The 2013-14 Movie Award Season - It's On!

By Editor

With the announcement last Thursday (October 24, 2013) of the nominations for the 2013 Gotham Awards, the awards season for American films kicked off it's 2013-14 edition.  It all culminates at the 86th Academy Awards on Sunday, March 2, 2013, where Oscars get handed out.

I hear lots of commentary and buzz about 12 Years a Slave (a Gotham Awards nominee) being the early favorite to win "Best Picture."  Like Miss Melody used to say, "I ain't buyin' it!"  Seriously, I don't see a film about American slavery winning the "Best Picture" Oscar.  It would be great, but... it would be even greater to be realistic.

Review: "Brother Bear" is Sweet (Happy B'day, Joaquin Phoenix)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 163 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux

Brother Bear (2003) – animated
Running time:  85 minutes (1 hour, 25 minutes)
MPAA – G
DIRECTORS:  Aaron Blaise and Robert Walker
WRITERS:  Tab Murphy, Steven Bencich, Lorne Cameron, Ron J. Friedman, David Hoselton, and Broose Johnson, from a story by multiple contributors
PRODUCER:  Chuck Williams
EDITOR:  Tim Mertens
COMPOSERS:  Phil Collins and Mark Mancina
Academy Award nominee

ANIMATION/FAMILY/FANTASY with elements of adventure

Starring:  (voices) Joaquin Phoenix, Jeremy Suarez, Jason Raize, Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas, D.B. Sweeney, Joan Copeland, Michael Clarke Duncan, Harold Gould, and Estelle Harris

The subject of this movie review is Brother Bear, a 2003 animated drama and fantasy-adventure film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures.  This Oscar-nominated film tells the story of a young Inuit hunter who needlessly kills a bear, and is magically changed into a bear himself as punishment and forced to play big brother to a talkative cub.

As it stands in late 2003, Brother Bear is the next to last 2D animated (or hand animated) feature from Walt Disney Studios, as they announced their plans to focus on 3D or computer generated films like Finding Nemo and Dinosaur.  With next year’s Home on the Range already looking kinda tepid, the greatest studio of 2D animated films seems to be limping out the exit.

Brother Bear, apparently set sometime in Ice Age North America, is the story of Kenai (Joaquin Phoenix), a young Native American hunter, who seeks vengeance on a bear that caused the death of his older brother Sitka (D.B. Sweeney).  Deep down, Kenai blames himself for his brother’s death, and he hopes killing the bear will help to alleviate his guilt.  After he kills the bear, Kenai causes some kind of unbalance in the supernatural forces that guard the earth.  Sitka’s spirit transforms Kenai into a bear who needs the help of a young cub, Koda (Jeremy Suarez), for redemption.  Meanwhile, Kenai’s other brother, Denahi (Jason Raize), hunts the transformed Kenai, believing him to be the bear that killed both his brothers.

As usual for Disney feature length animation, Brother Bear has beautiful animation dressed up in a sumptuous feast of dazzling colors.  At times, the viewer might think he’s taking a virtual tour of a museum full of lavishly painted landscapes.  BB’s animation isn’t as good as the great ones like Pinocchio and Fantasia, but it is better than Little Mermaid or Oliver and Company.  BB’s character animators do some excellent work, especially on the human characters and the moose voiced by Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas, who are virtually reprising their “SCTV” characters Bob and Doug McKenzie.

BB has two major weaknesses – Phil Collins’ song score and the script.  Collins’ work, while by know means bad, ranges from tiresome to tolerably functional.  The script manages to capture the essence of a very nice fable.  The mixture of Native American spiritualism, pacifism, and interspecies friendship, however, feels strained and, at times, phony.  The animals live together in happiness as if the forest was a nice suburban, multicultural neighborhood, and there’s barely a hint that some of these creatures dine on the other creatures.  The Indian spiritualism and ancestor worship is, in a strangely subtle way, actually over the top.

The film direction ranges from mediocre to fairly good.  Brother Bear strains and struggles to feel like an epic film, but most of the time it falls on its face like a goofy and gangly bear cub.  The cornball humor doesn’t help matters and isn’t all that funny; even Moranis and Thomas are, at best, mildly amusing.  On some levels, the film succeeds in being feel good.  It captures the sense of what it means to be obligated to another being and to be responsible for what happens when one’s actions create havoc in another’s life.  In the end, Brother Bear is nice, but overreaches itself to end up a bit syrupy, not at all grand, classic and heroic like the two films it obviously mimics – Bambi and The Lion King.

6 of 10
B

NOTES:
2004 Academy Awards, USA:  1 nomination: “Best Animated Feature” (Aaron Blaise and Robert Walker)

Updated:  Monday, October 28, 2013

The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Review: "Brother Bear 2" Surpasses Original

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 212 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

Brother Bear 2 (2006) – Direct-to-DVD – animation
Running time:  74 minutes (1 hour, 14 minutes)
DIRECTOR:  Benjamin Gluck
WRITER:  Rich Burns
PRODUCERS:  Jim Ballantine and Carolyn Bates
EDITORS:  Nick Kenway and Tony Martinous Rocco
COMPOSERS:  Matthew Gerrard, Dave Metzger, and Robbie Nevil

ANIMATION/FANTASY/ROMANCE/COMEDY with elements of adventure

Starring:  (voices) Patrick Dempsey, Mandy Moore, Jeremy Suarez, Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas, Andrea Martin, Catherine O’Hara, Wanda Sykes, Wendie Malick, Kathy Najimy, Michael Clarke Duncan, Jim Cummings, and Jeff Bennett

The subject of this movie review is Brother Bear 2, a 2006 straight-to-video animated feature film produced by DisneyToon Studios.  The film is a direct sequel to the 2003 Walt Disney Pictures animated feature film, Brother Bear.  Singer Melissa Etheridge contributed three songs to this film.  In Brother Bear 2, one brother bear gains a girlfriend, much to the consternation of the younger brother bear.

After waking from a long hibernation, the brother bears, Kenai (Patrick Dempsey) and Koda (Jeremy Suarez), are ready for a trip to Crowberry Ridge, the location of the best spring berries.  However, a former human friend of Kenai’s, Nita (Mandy Moore) interrupts their journey to ask for Kenai’s help.  Kenai was once human, and when he was just a boy, he and Nita made a childish promise of eternal love.

Their tribe’s Great Spirits heard them, and now that the adult Nita plans on marrying her betrothed, Atka (Jeff Bennett), a man from a prominent tribal family, the spirits apparently aren’t willing to let the marriage happen.  The village shaman, Innoko (Wanda Sykes), informs Nita that she must break her pact of devotion to Kenai before she can marry Atka.  That pact is signified by an amulet that Nita wears around her neck.  Nita and Kenai must burn the amulet together to severe the relationship.

Kenai reluctantly agrees to help Nita, and they begin the dangerous journey to Hokani Falls, the place where they made their pact.  However, as they conquer one challenge after another on the journey, the friends find their old relationship rekindled, and the bond they once made only deepens.  Meanwhile, Koda is afraid he’ll loose his brother, although he sees that Kenai deeply loves Nita, but Koda’s decisions to set things right could endanger them all.  The moose brothers, Rutt (Rick Moranis) and Tuke (Dave Thomas), among others, provide comic relief.

Brother Bear 2 (also called "BB2" in this review), the straight-to-video (direct-to-DVD) sequel to Disney’s 2003 Oscar-nominated, animated feature film, Brother Bear, has such high quality animation that BB2 could be mistaken for a traditionally-animated (hand drawn) movie released to theatres.  The story is good, but the script doesn’t sing out that its feature film material.  Still, the screenplay hits the high notes that are necessary for any Disney animal fable to be successful – those messages about family, courage, honor, sacrifice, and loyalty.  Melissa Etheridge also sings three songs, two of which she composed, and they’re in synch with the film’s tone.

Patrick Dempsey (now best known as Dr. Derek Shepherd or “Dr. McDreamy” of the hit ABC TV drama, “Grey’s Anatomy”) replaces Joaquin Phoenix as the voice of Kenai for BB2, and he’s pretty good.  It helps that Jeremy Suarez reprises his voice performance as the wisecracking bear cub, Koda, and he’s great – heads and shoulders above everyone else.  The beautiful animation work done on Koda manages to capture the energy and quality of Suarez’s performance.

Some of Disney’s earlier video sequels to their classic animated features had animation that was, at best, the quality of a good TV cartoon.  While not the work of Walt Disney Feature Animation, Brother Bear 2 is the best work from DisneyToon Studios, the group responsible for prior straight-to-video flicks.  DisneyToon was recently shut down, and this is a shame because the animators and artists there were just hitting their stride.

7 of 10
B+

Friday, October 13, 2006

Updated:  Monday, October 28, 2013

The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

"The Hobbit" Part 2 Has Worldwide Fan Event November 4th

Worldwide Fan Event for “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” Set for November 4, 2013

Fans Get Chance to Meet New Stars Joining the Trilogy, Catch an Exclusive First Look at Footage from “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” and Participate in a Live Q&A with Director Peter Jackson and the Cast

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Gearing up for the December 13, 2013, release of “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” a production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), fans will get a chance to meet new cast members joining the highly anticipated second film in “The Hobbit” Trilogy, including Orlando Bloom, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace and Luke Evans, as part of a global fan celebration to be held on Monday, November 4, at 5:00 pm EST, and simultaneous times around the world. At each of the satellite-linked cinemas in four host cities—Los Angeles, New York, London and Wellington—Jackson and members of his cast and filmmaking team will gather with fans to show exclusive footage from “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” and answer questions in front of a live audience, as well as offer a few surprises.

CNN Anchor Anderson Cooper, who serves as special host for the entire event, will be based in New York, where he will welcome Richard Armitage, the film’s Thorin Oakenshield, and Orlando Bloom, who returns to the role of Legolas from “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy. Evangeline Lilly, who joins the cast as a new Elf warrior, Tauriel, will be based in Los Angeles. London will host new cast member Lee Pace, the film’s Elf King Thranduil; Luke Evans, who joins the cast as Bard the Bowman; and Andy Serkis, a member of Jackson’s filmmaking team and the first film’s Gollum. Peter Jackson will join the celebration from Wellington, New Zealand (where it will be Tuesday, November 5, at 11:00 am).

Each cinema will be connected by satellite, allowing audiences to participate in a simultaneous Q&A among participants in all four host locations. Additionally, in cities across the globe—including Brussels, Belgium; Hamburg, Germany; Madrid, Spain; Mexico City, Mexico; Miami, Florida, USA; Paris, France; Rome, Italy; Sydney, Australia; and Toronto, Canada—fans will be invited to gather at select cinemas to be among the first to see the extended footage debut and watch the festivities unfold live. The event will also be streamed live online so that anyone with an internet connection can join the celebration at home or at viewing parties among friends, though the online simulcast will feature an edited version of the extended footage debut.

Details on locations, timing and how to sign up for a chance to join one of the many simultaneous events can be found at the film’s official site (TheHobbit.com) and on Facebook (facebook.com/TheHobbitMovie) and Twitter (Twitter.com/TheHobbitMovie), under the global hashtag #hobbitfanevent.

From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” the second in a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien. The three films tell a continuous story set in Middle-earth 60 years before “The Lord of the Rings,” which Jackson and his filmmaking team brought to the big screen in the blockbuster trilogy that culminated with the Oscar®-winning “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”

Ian McKellen returns as Gandalf the Grey, with Martin Freeman in the central role of Bilbo Baggins, and Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield. The international ensemble cast is led by Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, Ken Stott, James Nesbitt, and Orlando Bloom as Legolas. The film also stars (in alphabetical order) John Bell, Manu Bennett, Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, John Callen, Ryan Gage, Mark Hadlow, Peter Hambleton, Stephen Hunter, William Kircher, Lawrence Makoare, Sylvester McCoy, Graham McTavish, Dean O’Gorman, Mikael Persbrandt, and Aidan Turner.

The screenplay for “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” is by Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson & Guillermo del Toro based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien. Jackson also produced the film, together with Carolynne Cunningham, Zane Weiner and Fran Walsh. The executive producers are Alan Horn, Toby Emmerich, Ken Kamins and Carolyn Blackwood, with Philippa Boyens and Eileen Moran serving as co-producers.

The creative behind-the-scenes team is led by director of photography Andrew Lesnie, production designer Dan Hennah, conceptual designers Alan Lee and John Howe, editor Jabez Olssen, and hair and makeup designer Peter Swords King. The costumes are designed by Bob Buck, Ann Maskrey and Richard Taylor. Taylor is also overseeing the design and production of armour, weapons, creatures and special makeup, which are once again being made by the award-winning Weta Workshop. Weta Digital is taking on the visual effects for the film, led by senior visual effects supervisor Joe Letteri. The visual effects supervisor is Eric Saindon, with David Clayton and Eric Reynolds serving as animation supervisors.

Under Jackson’s direction, “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” was shot in 3D 48 frames-per-second and will be released in High Frame Rate 3D (HFR 3D) in select theaters, other 2D and 3D formats, and IMAX®. Production took place at Jackson’s own facilities in Miramar, Wellington, and on location around New Zealand. Post production took place at Park Road Post Production in Wellington.

New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Present a WingNut Films Production, “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.” “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” is a production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), with New Line managing production. Warner Bros. Pictures is handling worldwide theatrical distribution, with select international territories as well as all international television distribution being handled by MGM.

www.thehobbit.com